In 1935, drifter Henry Stauf commits murder, a descent into darkness. Haunted by a vision, he carves a doll, bartering it for survival. Visions of toys continue, and Stauf becomes a successful toymaker. He builds a mansion, fulfilling another vision. However, children with his toys fall ill, die. Stauf vanishes into his mansion.
Present day, "Ego" awakens in the deserted mansion. Ghostly visions reveal a night after the deaths: six guests arrive, invited by Stauf. His puzzles instruct them to bring an uninvited guest, a boy named Tad.
Elinor and Hamilton seek to help Tad, while others hunt him for a reward. Stauf's machinations turn the guests against each other. Julia, the last survivor, finds Tad, but Stauf, a grotesque creature, awaits. He needs Tad's soul to complete a pact with an evil force. Julia dies, Tad trapped.
Ego, the spirit of Tad, relives this eternally, a purgatory. Now, he can intervene. He helps Tad escape. Stauf, denied the soul, is consumed by the evil entity. Grateful, Tad thanks Ego, who steps into a sphere of light and vanishes.
